The following is issued on behalf of the Air Transport Licensing Authority:

In response to media enquiries today (August 5) on the application by Jetstar Hong Kong Airways Limited (JHK) to operate scheduled air services, a spokesman for the Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) responded as follows:

Pursuant to Article 134(2) of the Basic Law, ATLA may issue licences to airlines incorporated in and having their principal place of business in Hong Kong. In addition, to be eligible for the licence, the applicant has to provide the required information to the satisfaction of ATLA that the applicant has complied with the relevant requirements of the Air Transport (Licensing of Air Services) Regulations (Cap. 448A).

In the case of handling the licence application of JHK, all procedures were completed in accordance with the provisions of the Regulations and the ATLA Procedural Guidelines, which are all publicly available documents. ATLA had also discussed with JHK and the objectors and sought their mutual agreement on the procedures for dealing with the objections and representations.

ATLA deals with all applications on the same basis and there is no question that ATLA will protect any of the incumbent licence holders by applying different sets of rules to incumbent licence holders and applicants or preventing new entrants from entering into the Hong Kong market. Furthermore, the status of the application (be it a new entrant or an existing licence holder) is not a factor for ATLA's decision as to whether or not to grant a licence.

The considerations of ATLA in the determination of JHK's case are set out in the written decision at its website: www.thb.gov.hk/eng/boards/transport/air/atla.htm.